Railway flat car having stake pocket extensions

ABSTRACT

Stake pockets along the sides of the deck of a flat car include a lower portion and a removable extension. Where the lower portions of the stake pockets are below the deck, the extensions or upper portions may be retractable below the deck, or else formed in the ends of pivoted guide rails above the deck, movable into transverse positions on the deck. Alternatively, each lower portion and a retractable extension therefor may be mounted side by side in the end of a pivoted guide rail section. The retractable extensions are guided between their operative and inoperative positions by runners fitted in inclined grooves, or by means of pivots.

0 United States Patent 3,589,305

[72] inventor Duane V. Thornton 1,825,832 10/1931 Tatum .1 105/391 St.Charles, Mo. 1,863,364 6/1932 Anderson 105/391 5 2 PrimaryExamineF-Arthur L. La Point gf 22 I97] Assistant E.mminer--Richard A.Bertsch Assignee ACF Industries lmorpomted AlmrneysSamue1 J. Snyder andEugene N. Riddle New York, NY.

[54] RAILWAY FLAT CAR HAVING STAKE POCKET EXTENSIONS 14 Claims 18Drawtngm ABSTRA CT: Stake pockets along the sides of the deck of a flatcar include a lower portion and a removable extension. [52] [1.5. CI105/390, where the low portions f the stake pockets are below theOs/363T Os/391'280/l43'280/145'296/43 deck, the extensions or upperportions may be retractable [51] Int.Cl 861d 3/08 below the deck or elsef d in the ends f pivoted guide [50] Field of Search 280/145, railsabove the deck, movable into transverse positions on the l 143; 105/380391; 296/43 deck. Alternatively, each lower portion and a retractableextension therefor may be mounted side by side in the end of a [56]References Cited pivoted guide rail section. The retractable extensionsare' UNITED STATES PATENTS guided between their operative andinoperative positions by 893,165 7/1908 Haley 105/390 runners fitted ininclined grooves, or by means ofpivots.

PATENIED JUN29 I971 SHEET 1 OF 8 INVENTOR. DUANE V. THORNTON BYM%' MATTORNEY PATENTED JUH29 I97! SHEET 2 [1F 8 FIG. 3.

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RAILWAY FLAT CAR HAVING STAKE POCKET EXTENSIONS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides side stakepockets for a flat car of sufficient height to support the stakessecurely, without forming undesirable protrusions when they are not inuse. In one embodiment, the stake pockets include a fixed lower portionflush with the deck and other portion stowable below the deck beside thefixed portion and slidable in inclined grooves into superposition on thelower portion. In another embodiment, the upper and lower portions ofeach stake pocket are similarly mounted in the outer end of a pivotedsection of a guide rail for a truck trailer adapted to be carried on thedeck. In another embodiment the upper portion of the stake pocket ispivoted from its stowed position to its operative position. In stillanother embodiment, the lower portion of the stake pocket is locatedbelow the deck and the upper portion is in a guide rail section, so thatthe upper portion will overlie the lower portion and form an extensionthereof when the guide rail section is pivoted to a transverse positionand locked against movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION IN THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. I is a plan of a portion of a railway flat car embodying one formof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan ofa stake pocket extension.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the stake pocket extension.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation ofthe stake pocket extension.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken through a stake pocket.

FIG. 7 is a section similar to FIG. 6 but showing the stake pocketextension in extended position.

FIG. 8 is a plan of a portion ofa flat car embodying another form of theinvention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan ofa guide rail section of the car of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a transverse section of the portion of the car shown in FIG.9.

FIGS. II and I2 are end views of a guide rail section and a portion ofthe side of the car.

FIGS. l3, l4 and are top, side, and end views of the outer end ofamodified guide rail having a pivoted stake pocket.

FIG. 16 is a section taken along line 1616 of FIG. 14.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are top plan and side section views of anotherembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, arailway car indicated by reference numeral 10 is illustrated in FIG. Iand includes a deck 12. Side skills l4 of the underframe extend alongthe sides of deck 12. The underframe also includes center sill l6 andcross bearers l8. Adjacent the side sills are two series of stakepockets 20, which are further illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The stakepockets include a fixed portion 22 having side walls 24 and adjoiningwalls 26 and 28. Walls 24 are provided with inclined grooves 30. Amovable portion or member 32, shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, is providedwith runners 34 adapted to fit into grooves 30. Movable member 32 has arectangular cross section substantially the same as that of pocket 35 ofmember 22. In its retracted position, member 32 is adapted to nest incompartment 36 of the fixed member 22. The bottom of member 32 is openand truncated, as shown in FIG. 4. The outer wall 38 of member 32 has ahand-hold 40, by means of which it can be pulled from compartment 36into superposition with the pocket 35 of fixed member 32. When in thisposition, the bottom of wall 38 will rest on walls 26, as indicated infig. 7, to prevent member 32 sliding downward into its stored position.The superimposed fixed end members 22 and 32 thus form an extendedpocket for a side stake 41, which may be assumed to be a conventionalwooden rectangular stake. It is evident that when stake 41 is insertedinto the stake pocket member 32 is locked against lateral or verticalmovement and forms with the lower pocket 35 a rigid receptacle for thestake.

Another embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in FIGS. 8 to12, includes guide rail section 50 adapted to be arranged in twolongitudinal rows on the of the car in the positions 52 in FIG. 8. Theguide rail sections are pivotally mounted on the deck for transpositionfrom their longitudinal location to transverse positions 54. Guide railsections of the type herein employed are shown and described inapplication Ser. No. 726,127, filed May 2, I968, by Duane V. Thronton,et al., assigned to the assignee of the present application. In additionto the guide rails, one or more trailer hitches 56 are generally mountedon the deck of the car. The guide rail sections 50 have a length equalto about one-half the width of the deck, except in the vicinity of thetrailer hitches 56, whereat they are of shorter length, as indicated inFIG. 8. Each guide rail section is generally channel shaped with anupper wall 58 and sidewalls 60. The guide rail section is also providedwith suitable reinforcing webs 62 and 64. .An opening 66 in web 64receives a cylindrical pivot 68 secured by welding to the deck 12. Anupper circular end member 70 secured to pivot 68 provides a rimextending outwardly from pivot 68 to prevent removal ofguide railsection 50 from pivot 68. A hand-hold 72 is cut in the upper side 58 ofthe guide rail section to facilitate swinging it from one position toanother. The outer end of each guide rail section includes a stakepocket assembly 74 similar to the stake pocket described :above inconnection with FIGS. 1 to 7. Thus, stake pocket 74 includes movableportion 76 of the same configuration as member 32 and a fixed portion 78essentially the same as the fixed stake pocket portion 22. The movableportion 76 of the stake pocket is retractable into compartment 80, or itmay be placed in its operative position, shown in FIG. 10, where it issuperimposed on fixed portion 78 of the stake pocket for receiving astake 82.

The end of guide rail section 50 is provided with a fixed plate 84having a lower projection 85, and movable plate 86 having a pair ofslots 87 and 88, in which there are pins 89 and 90. The bottom of plate86 is provided with a lip 92. Fixed to the deck is a plate 94 having apair of lugs 95 and 96 projecting outwardly beyond the side sill alongeach side of plate 84. When a guide rail section 50 is placed in atransverse position with the plate 84 between lugs 95 and 96, and withthe movable plate lowered into the position shown in FIG. I I, the graderail section is effectively secured. The deck is provided with slots 98for receiving projections 85 of plates 84 when guide rail sections 50are in their longitudinal position.

The embodiment of the invention. illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 16 has adifferent stake pocket construction, but otherwise the guide railsections may be constructed, arranged, and utilized in the same manneras those shown in FIG. 8. Thus, guide rail section 100 has end plates102, 104, similar to plates 84, 86 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and isadapted to receive a wooden stake 106. At its outer end, top plate 107of U-shaped member 108 has a cutout 110. A compartment 111 is formed byweb 112, sidewalls 113, I14, bottom plate 116, and end plate 104. Bars117, 118 are fixed to sidewalls 113, 114, and partition 120 is welded tobottom plate 116. U-shaped channel 122 has pivots 123, 124 extendinginto openings in side plates 113, 114. The bottom of channel 122 issemicircular, and stops 125, 126 are fixed to the sides of channel 122to engage bars 117, 118 to limit rotation of channel 122. A plate 128 iswelded across the upper end of channel 122. By means of hand-hold 129,channel 122 can be pivoted into compartment 111, or raised to itsoperative position to form a supporting pocket for stake 106, with theaid of partition 120 and plate 128. The full complement of guide railsections provides two series of stake pockets along the side sills. Itis evident that the pivoted stake pocket construction may be substitutedfor the sliding construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 and FIGS. 8 to 12.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, the car I has a simplefixed stake pocket 130 adjacent side sill 132 extending downwardly fromdeck 134. Pivoted guide rail section 136, of generally the sameconstruction and arrangement as those shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, has afixed stake pocket 138 at its outer end. Stake pocket 138 includes web140 and U- shaped channel 142, having the same rectangular cross sectionas stake pocket 130, and adapted to be superimposed thereon when guiderail section 136 is in its transverse position on deck 134. Guide railsection 136 is locked in transverse position by end plates 143, 144 andlugs 145, 146, as previously explained. It is evident that when guiderail section 136 is put in its transverse position, an extended rigidstake pocket is formed.

What I claim is:

1. A railway flat car comprising two series of guide rail sectionspivotally mounted on the deck of the car for rotation from alignedlongitudinal positions to transverse positions; a stake pocket in eachguide rail section near one end thereof, each stake pocket having afixed portion within said guide rail section and a movable portion; andmeans for connecting the movable portion to the guide rail section forguiding the movement of said movable portion from a position entirelywithin the guide rail section to a position above and in alignment withthe fixed portion to form a stake pocket of extended length.

2. A stake pocket for a railway car having a fixed member and anadjacent, normally retracted, movable member, and means interconnectingthe fixed and movable members and guiding the elevation of the movablemember from its retracted position into super-position with the fixedmember to form a single stake pocket of extended length, said membershaving similarly shaped channels extending vertically therethrough andjuxtaposed and aligned to form a single, uniform, long channel when saidmembers are superimposed, whereby a stake is adapted to extend throughsaid movable member into said fixed member and be securely heldvertically.

3. A stake pocket according to claim 2, where said fixed and movablemembers are located side by side in their retracted positions.

4. A stake pocket according to claim 3, wherein said inter connectingmeans includes lateral projections on opposite sides of one of saidpocket members, and cooperating ramps engaging said projections forguiding the elevation of said movable member.

5. A stake pocket according to claim 3, wherein said inter-' connectingmeans includes elongated inclined runners projecting from opposite sidesof one of said pocket members and similarly inclined grooves for guidingand retaining said runners.

6. A stake pocket according to claim 3,-wherein said fixed and movablemembers are located below the deck in their retracted positions.

' 7. A railway flat car comprising first stake pocket members and meansfor fixing said members along the sides of the car at a predeterminedlevel relative to the deck of the car, a second stake pocket memberretractable to substantially said predetermined level relative to thedeck, and means movably interconnecting said first and second members ateach location thereof for guiding the second member into super-positionwith the corresponding first member, whereby the stakes may be insertedinto superimposed first and second members.

. A railway fiat car according to claim 7, wherein each second stakepocket member is pivoted member is pivoted to its adjacent first stakepocket member.

9. A railway flat car according to claim 7, wherein said first stakepocket members are located below the surface of the deck, and saidsecond stake pocket members are below deck in their retracted positionsand above deck in their operative positions.

10. A railway flat'car according to claim 7, including a plurality ofguide rail sections pivotally connected near one end thereof to thedeck, each guide rail section including a pair of said adjacent firstand second stake pocket members near the other end thereof.

11. A railway flat car according to claim 10, including means forlocking said guide rail sections in positions transverse to the deck,said sections being pivotable into longitudinal alignment to form guiderails for the wheels of a highway trailer.

12. A railway flat car comprising a series of stake pocket members alongeach side of the deck of the car at a predetermined level relative tothe deck; a stake pocket extension for each aid stake pocket members;and means for moving said extensions into super-position on said stakepocket members and for removing said extensions from said stake pocketmembers, each stake pocket and its extension having similarly shapedchannels extending vertically therethrough and juxtaposed and aligned toform a substantially continuous long channel when each said stake pocketmember and its extension are superimposed, whereby a stake is adapted toextend through each stake pocket extension into the corresponding stakepocket member and be securely held vertically.

13. A railway flat car according to claim 12, including means forlocking said extensions in super-position on said fixed stake pocketmembers.

14. A railway flat car according to claim 13, wherein said means formovably connecting said extensions to the deck include guide railsections pivotally connected at one end to the deck for movement from alongitudinal to a transverse position, said extensions being mounted inthe other end of said guide rail section.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 569 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,589;305 Dated June 29 1971 lnventoflx) Duane V. Thornton It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- Column 2, line for "walls" read wall line 10, after "32" insert fromline 15, after "pocket" insert line 20, after "the (first occurrence)insert deck line 60, for "grade read guide line 65, for "and" read toColumn line 18 cancel "member is pivoted (second occurrence); line 38,for 'aid" read said Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1 971(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M .FLETCHER, JR

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents

1. A railway flat car comprising two series of guide rail sectionspivotally mounted on the deck of the car for rotation from alignedlongitudinal positions to transverse positions; a stake pocket in eachguide rail section near one end thereof, each stake pocket having afixed portion within said guide rail section and a movable portion; andmeans for connecting the movable portion to the guide rail section forguiding the movement of said movable portion from a position entirelywithin the guide rail section to a position above and in alignment withthe fixed portion to form a stake pocket of extended length.
 2. A stakepocket for a railway car having a fixed member and an adjacent, normallyretracted, movable member, and means interconnecting the fixed andmovable members and guiding the elevation of the movable member from itsretracted position into super-position with the fixed member to form asingle stake pocket of extended length, said members having similarlyshaped channels extending vertically therethrough and juxtaposed andaligned to form a single, uniform, long channel when said members aresuperimposed, whereby a stake is adapted to extend through said movablEmember into said fixed member and be securely held vertically.
 3. Astake pocket according to claim 2, where said fixed and movable membersare located side by side in their retracted positions.
 4. A stake pocketaccording to claim 3, wherein said interconnecting means includeslateral projections on opposite sides of one of said pocket members, andcooperating ramps engaging said projections for guiding the elevation ofsaid movable member.
 5. A stake pocket according to claim 3, whereinsaid interconnecting means includes elongated inclined runnersprojecting from opposite sides of one of said pocket members andsimilarly inclined grooves for guiding and retaining said runners.
 6. Astake pocket according to claim 3, wherein said fixed and movablemembers are located below the deck in their retracted positions.
 7. Arailway flat car comprising first stake pocket members and means forfixing said members along the sides of the car at a predetermined levelrelative to the deck of the car, a second stake pocket memberretractable to substantially said predetermined level relative to thedeck, and means movably interconnecting said first and second members ateach location thereof for guiding the second member into super-positionwith the corresponding first member, whereby the stakes may be insertedinto superimposed first and second members.
 8. A railway flat caraccording to claim 7, wherein each second stake pocket member is pivotedmember is pivoted to its adjacent first stake pocket member.
 9. Arailway flat car according to claim 7, wherein said first stake pocketmembers are located below the surface of the deck, and said second stakepocket members are below deck in their retracted positions and abovedeck in their operative positions.
 10. A railway flat car according toclaim 7, including a plurality of guide rail sections pivotallyconnected near one end thereof to the deck, each guide rail sectionincluding a pair of said adjacent first and second stake pocket membersnear the other end thereof.
 11. A railway flat car according to claim10, including means for locking said guide rail sections in positionstransverse to the deck, said sections being pivotable into longitudinalalignment to form guide rails for the wheels of a highway trailer.
 12. Arailway flat car comprising a series of stake pocket members along eachside of the deck of the car at a predetermined level relative to thedeck; a stake pocket extension for each aid stake pocket members; andmeans for moving said extensions into super-position on said stakepocket members and for removing said extensions from said stake pocketmembers, each stake pocket and its extension having similarly shapedchannels extending vertically therethrough and juxtaposed and aligned toform a substantially continuous long channel when each said stake pocketmember and its extension are superimposed, whereby a stake is adapted toextend through each stake pocket extension into the corresponding stakepocket member and be securely held vertically.
 13. A railway flat caraccording to claim 12, including means for locking said extensions insuper-position on said fixed stake pocket members.
 14. A railway flatcar according to claim 13, wherein said means for movably connectingsaid extensions to the deck include guide rail sections pivotallyconnected at one end to the deck for movement from a longitudinal to atransverse position, said extensions being mounted in the other end ofsaid guide rail section.